Friedemann Vogel

SABT is delighted to announce that the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra will accompany this production and that Friedemann Vogel, Principal Dancer with the Stuttgart Ballet, will guest in the role of Prince Florimund at certain of the performances.

South African Ballet Theater is delighted and so am I. However, since I don't know much about this dancer, I would like some information from those who do, especially regarding his dancing style. In one critical review I read, he was described as "princely", so he seems a good choice for the lead in Sleeping Beauty.

Ostrich, you are in for a treat! I saw Vogel perform in Toronto at the Erik Bruhn Prize, 3 years ago when he was a young soloist. He performed 2 pdd: Giselle Act II and In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated. I remember he was absolutely stunning in both pieces, and his Albrecht was especially memorable. His technique was impecable- soft lines, quick batterie, nice jumps, and good partnering skills on top of all that! That year, there were several other very talented young men competing: Guillaume Cote (NBoC), David Hallberg (ABT), Ask La Cour (RDB, and now NYCB), and Gonzalo Garcia (SFB). I was personally rooting for Cote, since he is Canadian, but I was thrilled to see Vogel win the prize, as his dancing had such a unique quality. Please post your impressions of his performance as Florimund. I would be interested to see how he is doing these days, now that he's a principal dancer.

You are in for a treat - I just saw him in ENB's Romeo and Juliet last night, and while the choreography might not be memorable, it was delivered exquisitely. He also caught my eye in a company class last Saturday. He's got brilliant technique, a very light ballon (I was at the Royal Albert Hall, sitting very near the stage, and could not hear him land, while others were definitely audible), great turns, and a lovely balance. However, I also found him very musical and continuously in motion in the best of ways. Enjoy!

Paquita, you were interested in Friedemann Vogel's performance of Prince Florimund in South African Ballet Theater's Sleeping Beauty. I saw his opening performance today. Well, I thought it a terrible shame the prince dances so little. His movement quality is exquisitely lyrical and his youthful personality is captivating. At first I was a bit taken aback by his extremely youthful appearance. He looked 18, but "matured" towards the end of the performance. However, he endeared himself to the audience very quickly. The radiance and joy that comes across to the audience when he dances is very catching! He wasn't physically ideally suited to his partner, South African ballerina Angela Malan. Although she is not really too tall for him, she appears so due to her long, almost bony limbs. However, as far as personality went they were charming together.

Stuttgart Ballet is very lucky to have such a talented young principal. How old is he really? As I said, he looks very young indeed and I wondered whether he just appears so or whether he is really still extremely young.

Thank you, Ostrich, for your report! I'm glad to hear that it was a good performance. As for Vogel's age, I'm not sure what it is. But I saw him in the 2002 Bruhn Prize, and the competition is open to dancers aged 18-23. So he should be between 21-26 years old now.

Since in his bio it states that he won the cash prize at Prix de Lausanne in 1997 and the junior gold medal at the Prix de Luxembourg the same year, he has to be at least 23, since the youngest age for those competitions is 15. Since he joined Stuttgart Ballet when he finished school, in 1998, he would most likely be 24 or 25 now.

I've seen him dance, too, and he is indeed a standout! Here is a longer biographical look at his very interesting life (scroll down to the middle of the article):